LiveTV™ is a major provider of airline in-flight entertainment systems, namely in-flight satellite-delivered live programming content, and allows air passengers to have the freedom to choose from a wide variety of satellite delivered live programming. Its main product comprises providing in-aircraft seat-back satellite television services, in addition to such services as live flight tracking, which allows people to see their current location during a flight in real-time. Depending on the region of the world the airline operates in, LiveTV™ can utilize different satellite television providers. For example, in the U.S.A. such satellite programming is typically provided by DirecTV™. Thus, in one example, a LiveTV™ system on an airplane can deliver DirecTV™ content to each passenger. A satellite system on an airplane can deliver many channels of content to its passengers in real time. However, if the pilot or stewardess interrupts the programming to make announcements, all of the real time satellite programming content during those announcements is lost.
Individual pause systems are used all over the world to adjust time to accommodate the viewer. Pause functions are well known in devices such as VCRs. For example, if the audio/video source is a VCR tape or tapes, a pause can be implemented by simply pressing the pause button on the VCR and then pressing ‘play’ when an interruption period is ended to resume playback of the program(s). This form of pause typically does not require any special design techniques. Indeed, a simple pause function for a single program is found today in many homes on a Personal Video Recorder (PVR) or Digital Video Recorder (DVR) unit. The PVR can have a specific design to record and playback programs as specified by its user. In almost all cases, only single programs are adjusted in time and not an entire system. One complication with individual storage systems is that if the viewer changes stations during the program, unless the other program has an equal pause, he will not be able to go back to his original station without losing portions of the original program.
However, providing a pause function in a real time digital streaming environment with hundreds of channels available, such as in an airplane satellite system, presents a challenging problem. This is especially so since the viewer is normally not in control of the video/audio program other than selecting what is available. Pausing a streaming system also introduces complications with system clocks, program guides, and control systems.